Special Educational Needs and disability information (SEND)

Universal offer of Special Educational Needs and Disability
 

In March 2014 the Government passed The Children and Families Act that make wide ranging reforms to services for all children and young people, and specifically for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). From September 2014 Local Authorities must publish information about what services for children with SEND are available and how families can access them. This is known as the ‘Local Offer’. Leeds Local Offer can be accessed via www.leeds.gov.uk

All schools also have a duty to publish their own individual offer of support for children with SEND and this is detailed below:

Frequently Asked Questions from Parents/Carers.

What do I do if I think my child may have special educational needs/disability?

Parents may contact the class teacher or SENCO, Lisa Piotrowicz on 0113 2503395. Arrangements will be made for a meeting where school will listen carefully to concerns and put appropriate actions in place. This may involve signposting to other professionals if necessary.

How will school support my child?

The class teacher will plan appropriate work for your child within the classroom setting. They may have individual learning targets according to assessments/observations made on the child within lessons or, for those children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, an individual behaviour plan (IBP); these will be overseen by the SENCO and any other professionals involved with the child. The programme will be delivered by teachers and support staff and will be regularly reviewed by the SENCO and teachers. The contents of this programme will be shared with parents at parent consultation evenings or at Inclusion reviews with the class teacher and SENCO.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

All children will have access to a curriculum which is differentiated to support progress for individuals, taking into consideration their learning or behaviour targets. Children may also be grouped to access targeted support/interventions or specific resources.

How will I know how well my child is doing and how you will help me support my child’s learning?

In addition to written reporting arrangements there will be Parent Consultation Evenings where there will be opportunities for parents/carers to discuss their child’s progress with class teachers. These are held in the Autumn and Spring terms, with an optional additional meeting in the summer term. In addition, pupils who are on the SEN/Inclusion register have three IEP meetings per year with the SENCO and class teacher. The SENCO is always available for further discussion and to support parents/carers with any concerns they may have. Parents/carers themselves can be involved in supporting their child’s education in consultation with the class teacher. This may involve special homework tasks or reinforcement of classroom strategies in the home.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

Yeadon Westfield Junior School takes pride in our caring and supportive ethos. We have a pastoral team who ensure children’s overall well-being is supported. We have various support strategies for any children who are experiencing a specific difficulty affecting their emotional and social well-being such as: Nurture sessions, our learning mentor, TAMHs – additional counselling/play therapy support through Extended Services and group interventions. The SENCO and Learning Mentor take active roles in attending and leading multi-agency meetings as well as liaising with relevant professionals to support a child and family. All our members of staff are trained in Child Protection and we have three staff who are specifically designated to ensure the safeguarding of all children; all staff training is regularly updated.

What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by the school?

Our pastoral team (Mentor Head Teacher and SENCO) ensure parents can feel confident when they approach school with a problem. Parents will be invited to discuss any concerns and from this, the pastoral team can access a range of services to provide support. This may involve a referral for cluster support. If the main difficulty is linked to educational, physical or medical needs the SENCO has access to specialists such as: Educational Psychology Complex Needs Team, Speech and Language Therapy, STARS team (autistic spectrum condition) School Nursing Service – including specialist nurses (diabetes for instance) Physiotherapy Service, Occupational Therapy Service.  If the main difficulty is around SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) needs then we may access: Nurture provision,  Counselling, Educational Psychology or Inclusion Support Workers – from the NW Area Inclusion Partnership Cluster Support:

What training is accessed by staff to support children with SEN?

Our SENCO is experienced in the variety of needs that may present in an inclusive primary school. We have a Speech and Language Therapist who advises school half termly and leaves programmes of study for focus pupils She also trains/advises staff so that they are able to deliver small group or individual sessions themselves. In school, we have a high level of expertise in the understanding of behavioural difficulties and have systems in place to support and monitor children whose barriers to learning lie in this area. All staff have had Team Teach training, updated when required. Some staff members have also attended extra training to support specific needs and have become more specialised in areas such as: autism, dyslexia awareness, speech and language, specific maths and English interventions.

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom?

At Yeadon Westfield Junior School our aim is to ensure all children with SEND are able to access all activities and school trips enjoyed by their peers. Parents/carers may be involved in the planning of activities to ensure safety and inclusion wherever possible. Those children with complex needs may attract high needs top up funding and this will be used to employ staff (1-1 if necessary) to promote independence and support inclusion at all times.

How accessible is the school?

An appropriate and accessible learning environment is provided within the confines of the building and is adapted where possible and if necessary, although Yeadon Westfield Junior school is a split level building. There are disabled toilet facilities within a level area of school, allowing for adaptation of the school building to better accommodate all pupils.. Children requiring additional specific equipment and facilities will have their needs met to the best of our ability, sometimes through additional funding.

How will school help my child on transfer to the next phase of education?

Transition arrangements and the involvement of child and parent in these arrangements are firmly established in school. Nurture provision is planned to ensure children make all transitions smoothly and confidently. Our SENCO and Learning Mentor liaise with relevant staff in the next schools and discuss the needs of individuals. . For some children additional transition sessions will be provided.

How are school resources allocated and matched to the children’s SEN needs?

The school is funded on a national formula per pupil. Blocks of £6,000 are allocated depending on the number of children who meet the criteria and who are on the school’s inclusion register. The school can also apply for ‘high needs top-up’ funding which is based on strict criteria, if it is felt that a child’s needs are above that which can be provided through the £6,000 block. The school uses additional funding to put appropriate support in place to meet the specific needs of a child. This may take the form of a key worker to support the child to access a personalised timetable, develop independence and access all areas of the curriculum.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

The SENCO will take advice from all professionals involved with the child alongside the views of parents and the child, if appropriate. The best package of support will be identified by the SENCO, liaising as necessary with the Senior Leadership Team, and then acted on accordingly.

How are parents involved in the school and how can I be involved?

The Governing Body has the appropriate number of parent governors to act as a link between the school and all parents. Parents are kept informed about teaching and other events through our website, Facebook page, weekly newsletters, open evening sessions for new parents, information events held at parents’ evenings (eg, calculation methods used in school,  internet safety etc). Information evenings are held to inform parents of our teaching and learning methods as well as our expectations and how best to support children at home.  Across school we hold ‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings at the beginning of a new school year to give general information out to parents. We also have special assemblies such as the Christmas and Easter service throughout the year to which parents are invited. Our PTA is a group of staff and parents who work together to organise a calendar of fun events for the children and families which also raises money to provide extra equipment/activities for our children. All parents are welcome to become part of the PTA.

Our Learning Mentor 

Our Learning Mentor supports the social and emotional needs of all our children. We know and recognise that our children learn best when they are safe, happy and secure. There are pressures on children that can sometimes result in them feeling anxious, worried or unhappy at times during their school day. Our Mentor's Room offers a calm, safe and welcoming space for the children to access with our supportive mentor. She offers support throughout the day to everyone and our Learning Support Assistants run a range of interventions to encourage children to achieve to their highest level. Research shows that a child is able to learn best when they have a strong self-esteem, a sense of belonging and resilience. Nurture groups can offer a short-term focused intervention to address barriers to learning arising from social or emotional difficulties or to help Y2 pupils transition to Y3.. Nurture support is not limited to these sessions  as all classes will embed the nurturing principles and practice at a whole school level, providing appropriate support for all pupils attending Yeadon Westfield Junior School. The Mentor is happy to meet with parents/carers. If you wish to speak to Mrs Wear please drop into the school office.

Our SENDCO is Mrs Lisa Piotrowicz

0113 2503395